Duke center Dereck Lively worked out for the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft. At 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, the 19-year-old is among the top rim protectors in this year's draft class, averaging 2.4 blocks in just 20.6 minutes per game during his freshman season.

Lively has frequently been mocked in the 8-12 pick range throughout the pre draft process. His Brooklyn workout follows rumors that the Nets are “extremely active” in trade talks ahead of Thursday. ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony reported that Brooklyn could package picks No. 21 and 22 with Dorian Finney-Smith or Royce O'Neale to move up the board. The Dallas Mavericks (No. 10) and Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 12) are in Lively's range and have reported interest in moving their picks.

In addition to his elite rim protection, Lively is a versatile pick-and-roll defender with surprisingly quick feet, a skillset Nic Claxton capitalized on last season in the Nets' switch-heavy scheme.

Lively will need to add to his 230-pound frame in order to truly hold his own against NBA-caliber centers, but he did manage 5.4 rebounds per game at Duke. Head coach Jacque Vaughn was not shy in speaking out about Brooklyn's need for added size after his team lost the second-chance points battle 80-22 during their first-round postseason sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers:

“We’ve gotta get bigger over the summer, we’ve gotta get nastier, we’ve gotta get guys who really love hitting and take it personal when the other team gets a rebound,” Vaughn said after the series. “That’s what we’ll be looking for.”

General manager Sean Marks was aligned on that thought process:

“Without a doubt, we need to make some changes in terms of adding some size,” Marks said Sunday at HSS Training Center. “I think (head coach) Jacque (Vaughn) said it last night, (need to) add a little nastiness. And then a little bit of the Brooklyn grit that we've talked about for sort of six years. It's gonna come authentically, it's got to be real.”

Lively is an offensive project, but he shows soft hands collecting passes and powerful finishing ability on lobs and cuts. His touch on hooks and contested putbacks is a work in progress and he struggled as a jump shooter last season. However, he shot 60 percent from the free-throw line and flashed some impressive passes as a short-roll playmaker.

A trade for Lively would fill a hole in Brooklyn's backcourt behind Nic Claxton. It could also be a sign that the Nets intend to cash in on Claxton's career-best season via the trade market ahead of the final year of his contract. With Lively's floor reportedly being the late lottery, it would take a hefty package for Brooklyn to trade into his range.